Administrative Procedure 564 – Volunteer Drivers

Background

The District values the involvement and commitment of volunteer drivers. Student transportation is the responsibility of the Principal who may designate an Educator-in-Charge to assume overall responsibility for travel arrangements and supervision of travel for a particular school activity, or for all activities. The intent of this procedure is to minimize risk to students being transported by volunteer drivers.

This procedure applies to the curricular transportation of students by volunteer drivers during instructional time.

This procedure also applies to extracurricular transportation of students when volunteer drivers, including staff, are organized and directed by the school or school district.

This procedure does not apply when a student is transported by their parent/guardian.

Procedures

1. Selection of volunteer drivers is intended to achieve safe transport by giving consideration to factors including:
   1. Volunteer suitability for the task;
   2. Driver licensing appropriate to the vehicle; and
   3. Vehicle licensing, insurance and mechanical fitness.
2. Individuals interested in becoming volunteer drivers must submit a Volunteer Driver Application (Form 564-1) and the required supporting documentation to the Principal, or the Vice Principal (if so delegated by the Principal).
3. Selection of volunteer drivers should include consideration of the following criteria and may include other factors the Principal and/or Vice Principal deem appropriate:
   1. Driver licensing must be in British Columbia and appropriate to the licensing of the vehicle being utilized and number of persons to be transported. Most drivers have Class 5 licenses. A Class 4 driver’s license is required for student travel if the vehicle has a seating capacity of ten or more (up to 25) including the driver.
   2. The applicant must have held a valid driver’s license for at least one year.
   3. The driver must be competent to drive. The applicant’s driving record will be reviewed by examining a Driver’s Abstract. The Driver’s Abstract must include the last 5 years of driving history. Generally, two or more traffic violations or an accident involving personal injury or damage to the property of others over $5,000 in the year preceding the date of issue of the driver’s abstract, would disallow approval.
   4. Use of Learner (“L”) drivers and Novice (“N”) drivers under 19 years of age as volunteer drivers is strictly prohibited, except for students with a Novice (“N”) driver’s license who may drive themselves and a passenger to/from school sponsored activities for trips only within the Capital Regional District (“CRD”):
      1. Parents of the passenger and the driver must be notified and give consent in writing prior to the occurrence of the field trip.
      2. Student drivers must submit a Volunteer Driver Application (Form 564-1) and be approved as a volunteer driver.
   5. Use of Novice (“N”) drivers over 19 years of age to transport students is not precluded, but is discouraged, as there are legal restrictions on their ability to transport passengers, and they are less experienced drivers. Parents/Guardians of students being transported by Novice (“N”) drivers must be made aware of this when consenting to the participation of their child in the field trip. Unroadworthy vehicles must not be used.
   6. Vehicle fitness is to be certified by the driver. If something indicates a vehicle may not be roadworthy, it must not be utilized.
   7. Vehicle licensing must be in British Columbia.
   8. Vehicles transporting 5 or more passengers including the driver shall be considered a passenger van and must also adhere to the requirements of Administrative Procedure 562 (Field Trip Extracurricular Travel) where applicable. This includes that a passenger van driver must be 21 years of age or older and have a valid driver’s license (cannot be a Novice (“N”) driver).
   9. Where applicable, the requirements in Administrative Procedure 563 (Use of Commercial Buses) also apply to volunteer drivers.
4. The Principal retains discretionary authority to approve volunteer drivers, and a volunteer driver’s services may be terminated at the discretion of the Principal.
5. Communication with parents/guardians:
   1. Where student activities involve transportation by volunteer drivers, parents/guardians are to be informed and must consent to the arrangements.
   2. If the volunteer driver is a Novice (“N”) driver, written consent for the use of the Novice (“N”) driver must be obtained from:
      1. Parents/Guardians of students to be transported; and
      2. For student volunteer drivers - parents/guardians of the student volunteer driver.
6. Responsibilities of Volunteer Drivers:
   1. Volunteer drivers are responsible for ensuring that the vehicle they use for student transportation is appropriately insured for the planned usage by the volunteer driver, with a minimum Third-Party Liability insurance of $1,000,000.
      1. In the event of a motor vehicle accident, insurance claims are satisfied pursuant to the terms of the insurance coverage carried on the vehicle involved. The School Protection Program provides additional liability coverage above the vehicle’s insurance coverages. The School District does not accept responsibility for any damage to the vehicle in the event of an accident, nor for deductible, loss of insurance discount or loss of use.
   2. Volunteer drivers are responsible for ensuring that the vehicle they use for student transportation is properly equipped with seat belts for each occupant and that seat belts are secured when traveling.
   3. The volunteer driver and owner should ensure that, to the best of their knowledge, the motor vehicle used for student transportation, is in good mechanical condition, and equipped with appropriate tires to meet weather conditions.
   4. Volunteer drivers must ensure that adequate passenger restraint systems (i.e. seat belts, booster seats) are used in the vehicle used to transport students.
   5. Volunteer drivers are responsible for ensuring that all children under 13 years of age are not transported in a front passenger seat equipped with an air bag.
   6. Volunteer drivers must notify the Principal if any events occur that negatively impact on the driver’s suitability to transport students as a volunteer.
   7. Volunteer drivers must maintain a smoke-free and vape-free environment while transporting students.
   8. Volunteer drivers must not, at any time during their performance as volunteer drivers, use any alcoholic beverages or use any restricted substances or use any substances that may affect their ability to safely operate a motor vehicle.
   9. Volunteer drivers must not operate the vehicle in an unsafe manner or in contravention of any statute or regulation governing the operation of motor vehicles.
   10. Volunteer drivers must notify the Principal of any motor vehicle accidents that occur while transporting students.
   11. Volunteer drivers must follow all applicable school district policies and procedures. These policies and procedures apply equally to rental vehicles.
7. All Volunteers who may have unsupervised access to students, including volunteer drivers, are required to complete a criminal record review in accordance with Administrative Procedure 400 – Appendix (Criminal Record Reviews for Staff and Volunteers).
8. Documentation:
   1. A Volunteer Driver Registration form is provided for schools to facilitate documentation, selection and authorization of volunteer drivers. This documentation must be kept on file at the school and updated annually, or whenever the information changes.
   2. Each volunteer driver must submit an updated driver’s abstract every two years, or sooner if their license expires.
   3. Separate passenger lists for each vehicle used for field trips must be prepared and retained by the trip supervision, and a copy must be retained by the school.